Thisdone，heturnedtowardhissecretdwelling。

Ashewalkedrapidlyandnoiselesslythroughthehiddenvalleysandalongthesingingstreams，henoticedfreshsignsofthedeer，elk，andotherwildtribesamongwhomhehadchosentoabide。"Theyshallbemypeople，"hesaidtohimself。

Behindagroupofcedarshepausedtorec—

onnoiter，andsawthepine—boughwigwamlikeagiantplant，eachrowofboughsoverlappingtheprecedingcircularrowlikethescalesofafish。Stasuwassittingbeforeituponabuffalo—

robe，attiredinherbestdoeskingown。Herdelicateovalfacewastouchedwithredpaint，andherslenderbrownhandswereoccupiedwithamoccasinmeantforhimtowear。Hecouldscarcelybelievethatitwasamortalwomanthathesawbeforehiminbroadday——theprideofNoMan’sTrail，forthatiswhattheCrowIndianscallthatvalley！

"Ho，ho，kechuwa！"heexclaimedasheapproachedher，andherheartleapedinrecog—

nitionofthemagneticwordsoflove。

"Itisgoodthatwearealone！IshallneverwanttogobacktomypeoplesolongasIhaveyou。Icandwellherewithyouforever，un—

lessyoushouldthinkotherwise！"sheexclaimedinherowntongue，accompaniedbygraphicsigns。

"Ho，Ithinkofnothingelse！Icanseeineverycreatureonlyfriendlywaysandgoodfeeling。Wecanlivealonehere，happily，un—

lessyoushouldfeeldifferently，"herepliedinhisownlanguagewiththesigns，sothathisbrideunderstoodhim。

Theenvironmentwasjustwhatitshouldbewhentwopeopleareunitedinmarriage。TheweddingmusicwasplayedbyNature，andtrees，brooks，andthebirdsoftheaircontributedtheirpeculiarstrainstoagreatharmony。AllofthepeopleonNoMan’sTrailwerepolite，andunderstoodthereservesoflove。Thesetwohadyieldedtoasimpleandnaturalim—

pulse;butitsonlyjustificationtotheirmindswasthemysteriousleadingofthetwinspirit！

Thatwasthesumtotaloftheirexcuse，anditwasenough。

Beforetherigorofwinterhadsetin，Tatokabroughttohisbridemanybuffaloskins。Shewasthoroughlyschooledintheartsofsav—

agewomanhood;infact，everyIndianmaidwastrainedwiththisthoughtinview——thatsheshouldbecomeabeautiful，strong，skillfulwifeandmother——themotherofanobleraceofwarriors！

Inashorttimewithinthatgreenandpine—

scentedenclosuretheresmiledalittlewildpara—

dise。Hardbythepine—boughwigwamtherestoodanewwhitebuffalo—skinteepee，tanned，cut，sewed，andpitchedbythehandsofStasu。

Awayinthewoods，downbytherushingbrook，washertannery，andnotfaraway，inasunny，openspot，shepreparedhersun—curedmeatsforwinteruse。Herkitchenwasastonefireplaceinashadyspot，andherparlorwasthelodgeofevergreen，overhungontwosidesbyinac—

cessibleledges，andboundedontheothertwobythesparklingstream。Itwasasecretplace，andyetacitadel;asilentplace，andyetnotlonely！

Thewinterwascoldandlong，butthepairwerehappyinoneanother’scompany，andac—

ceptedtheirstrangelotasonethatwaschosenforthembythespirits。Stasuhadinsisteduponherhusbandspeakingtoherinhisownlanguage，thatshemightlearnitquickly。Inalittlewhileshewasabletoconversewithhim，andwhenshehadacquiredhislanguageshetaughthimhers。

WhileAntelopewasoccupiedwithhuntingandexploringthecountry，alwayskeepinginmindthedangerofdiscoverybysomewander—

ingscoutorhunter，hiswifegrewwellac—

quaintedwiththewildinhabitantsofNoMan’sTrail。Thesepeopleareasfullofcuriosityasman，andastheSiouxneverhuntednearhishome，theywereentirelyfearless。ManycametothedoorofStasu’slodge，andshewasnotafraid，butofferedthemfoodandspoketothemkindly。Allanimalsjudgebysignsandarequickinreadingtonesandgestures;

sothattheReegirlsoonhadgrandfathersandgrandmothers，aftertheIndianfashion，amongthewolvesandbearsthatcameoftenestforfood。

Herhusbandinthefieldhadalsohisfellow—

huntersandfriends。Whenhekilledthebuf—

falohealwaysleftenoughmeatforthewolves，theeagles，andtheravenstofeastupon，andthesewatchedforthecomingofthelonelywildman。Morethanoncetheytoldhimbytheiractionsofthepresenceofadistantcamp—

fire，butineachinstanceitprovedtobeasmallwar—partywhichhadpassedbelowthemonthetrail。

Againitwassummer。Neverhadthemoun—

tainslookedgranderormoremysterioustotheeyesofthetwo。Thevalleywasfullofthemusicandhappinessofthewingedsummerpeo—

ple;thetreesworetheirsummerattire，andthemeadowitsgreenblanket。Thereweremanyhomesmadehappybythecomingoflittlepeo—

pleeverywhere，butnopairwashappierthanStasuandherhusbandwhenonemorningtheysawtheirlittlebravelyingwrappedinsoftdeerskins，andheardforthefirsttimehisplaintivevoice！

Thatmorning，whenAntelopesetoutonthehunt，hestoppedatthestreamandlookedathimselfseriouslytoseewhetherhehadchangedsincethedaybefore。Hemustnowappearmuchgraver，hesaidtohimself，becauseheisthefatherofanewman！

Inspiteofhimself，histhoughtswerewithhisownpeople，andhewonderedwhathisoldgrandmotherwouldhavesaidtohischild！HelookedawayofftowardtheBlackHills，totheSiouxcountry，andinhishearthesaid，"Iamacoward！"

Theboygrewnaturally，andneverfeltthelackofplaymatesandcompanions，forhismotherwasingeniousindevisingplaysforhim，andinwinningforhimtheconfidenceandkindnessoftheanimalfriends。HewastheyoungchiefandtheheroofNoMan’sTrail！

Thebearsandwolveswerehiswarriors;thebuffaloandelkthehostiletribesuponwhomhewenttowar。Smallashewas，hesoonpre—

ferredtoroamaloneinthewoods。Hispar—

entswereoftenanxious，but，ontheotherhand，theyentertainedthehopethathewouldsomedaybe"wakan，"amysteriousorsupernaturalman，forhewasgettingpowerfromhiswildcompanionsandfromthesilentforcesofnature。

Oneday，whenhewasaboutfiveyearsold，hegaveadanceforhiswildpetsuponthelittleplateauwhichwasstilltheirhome。HehadclothedMato，thebear，inoneofhisfather’ssuitsasagreatmedicine—man。Waho，thewolf，waspaintedupasabrave;andtheyoungbuffalocalfwasattiredinoneofhismother’sgowns。Theboyactedaschiefandmasterofceremonies。

Thesavagemotherwatchedhimwithun—

disguisedpride，mingledwithsorrow。Tearscourseddownherduskycheeks，althoughatthesametimeshecouldnothelplaughingheartilyatthestrangeperformance。Whentheplaywasended，andshehadservedthefeastatitsclose，Stasuseemedlostinthought。

"Heshouldnotliveinthisway，"shewassayingtoherself。"Heshouldknowthetra—

ditionsandgreatdeedsofmypeople！Surelyhisgrandfatherwouldbeproudoftheboy！"

Thatevening，whiletheboyslept，andMatolayoutsidethelodgeeagerlylisteningandsnif—

fingthenightair，theparentssatsilentandillatease。AfteralongtimeStasuspokehermind。

"Myhusband，youaskmewhyIamsad。

ItisbecauseIthinkthattheGreatMysterywillbedispleasedifwekeepthislittleboyfor—

everinthewilderness。Itiswrongtoallowhimtogrowupamongwildanimals;andifsicknessoraccidentshoulddeprivehimofhisfatherandmother，ourspiritswouldneverrest，becausewehadlefthimalone！Ihavedecidedtoaskyoutotakeusback，eithertoyourpeo—

pleortomypeople。Wemustsacrificeourpride，or，ifneedsbe，ourlives，forhislifeandhappiness！"

ThisspeechofStasu’swasasurprisetoherhusband。Hiseyesresteduponthegroundashelistened，andhisfaceassumedtheproverbialstoicalaspect，yetinittherewasnotlackingacertainnobleness。Atlastheliftedhiseyestohers，andsaid：

"Youhavespokenwisewords，anditshallbeasyouhavesaid。Weshallreturntoyourpeople。IfIamtodieatthehandsofthean—

cientenemyoftheSioux，Ishalldiebecauseofmyloveforyou，andforourchild。ButI

cannotgobacktomyownpeopletoberidiculedbyunworthyyoungmenforyieldingtoloveofaReemaiden！"

TherewasmuchfeelingbehindthesewordsofAntelope。Therigidcustomsofhispeoplearealmostareligion，andthereisonethingaboveallelsewhichaSiouxcannotbear——thatistheridiculeofhisfellow—warriors。Yes，hecanendureseverepunishmentorevendeathatthehandsoftheenemyratherthanasinglelaughofderisionfromaSioux！

Inafewdaysthehousholdarticleswerepacked，andthethreesadlyturnedtheirbacksupontheirhome。Stasuandherhusbandwereverysilentastheytraveledslowlyalong。Whentheyreachedthehillcalled"Born—of—Day，"

andshesawfromitssummitthecountryofherpeoplelyingbelowher，shecriedaloud，weep—

inghappytears。Antelopesatnearbywithbowedhead，silentlysmoking。

Finallyonthefifthdaytheyarrivedwithinsightofthegreatpermanentvillageofthethreetribes。Theysawtheearthlodgesasofold，thicklyclusteredalongtheflatsoftheMis—

souri，amongtheirrustlingmaize—fields。Ante—

lopestopped。"Ithinkyouhadbettergivemesomethingtoeat，woman，"hesaid，smil—

ing。ItwastheSiouxwayofsaying，"Letmehavemylastmeal！"

Aftertheyhadeaten，Stasuopenedherbuck—

skinbagsandgaveherhusbandhisfinestsuit。

Hedressedhimselfcarefullyinthefashionofhistribe，puttingonallthefeatherstowhichhewasentitledasawarrior。Theboyalsowasdeckedoutingalaattire，andStasu，thematron，hadneverlookedmorebeautifulinhergownofceremonywiththedecorationofelks’teeth，thesamethatshehadwornontheeveningofherdisappearance。

Asshedressedherself，theunwelcomethoughtforceditselfuponher，——"Whatifmyloveiskilledbymyowncountrymenintheirfrenzy？Thisbeautifulgownmustthengiveplacetoapoorone，andthishairwillbecutshort！"forsuchisthemourningofthewidowamongherpeople。

Thethreerodeopenlydownthelongslope，andwereinstantlydiscoveredbythepeopleofthevillage。Soontheplainwasblackwiththeapproachingriders。Stasuhadbeggedherhus—

bandtoremainbehind，whileshewentonalonewiththeboytoobtainforgiveness，buthesternlyrefused，andcontinuedinadvance。

WhentheforemostReewarriorscamewithinarrow—shottheybegantoshoot，towhichhepaidnoattention。

Butthechildscreamedwithterror，andStasucriedoutinherowntongue：

"Donotshoot！Iamthedaughterofyourchief！"

Oneofthemreturnedthereply："SheiskilledbytheSioux！"Butwhentheleaderssawherplainlytheywereastounded。

Foratimetherewasgreatconfusion。Someheldthattheyshouldalldie，forthewomanhadbeenguiltyoftreasontoherpeople，andevennowshemightbeplayingatrickuponthem。WhocouldsaythatbehindthathilltherewasnotaSiouxwar—party？

"No，no，"repliedothers。"Theyareinourpower。Letthemtelltheirstory！"

Stasutolditsimply，andsaidinconclusion：

"Thisman，oneofthebravestandmosthonorablemenofhistribe，desertedonthenightoftheattack，andallbecausehelovedaReemaiden！Henowcomestobeyourbrother—in—law，whowillfighthenceforthforyouandwithyou，evenifitbeagainsthisownpeople。

"Hedoesnotbegformercy——hecandareanything！ButIamawoman——myheartissoft——Iaskforthelivesofmyhusbandandmyson，whoisthegrandsonofyourchief！"

"Heisacowardwhotouchesthisman！"

exclaimedtheleader，andathunderofwar—

whoopswentupinapprovalofhiswords。

Thewarriorsformedthemselvesintwogreatcolumns，ridingtwentyabreast，behindandinfrontofthestrangers。Theoldchiefcameouttomeetthem，andtookhisson—in—

law’shand。Thustheyenteredthevillageinbattlearray，butwithheartstouchedwithwon—

derandgreatgladness，dischargingtheirar—

rowsupwardincloudsandsingingpeace—songs。

II

THEMADNESSOFBALDEAGLE

"Itwasmanyyearsago，whenIwasonlyachild，"beganWhiteGhost，thepatri—

archaloldchiefoftheYanktonnaisSioux，"thatourbandwasengagedinades—

peratebattlewiththeReesandMandans。Thecauseofthefightwasapeculiarone。Iwilltellyouaboutit。"Andhelaidasidehislong—

stemmedpipeandsettledhimselftotherecital。

"AtthattimetheYanktonnaisnumberedalittleoverfortyfamilies。WewerenicknamedbytheotherbandsShunkikcheka，orDomesticDogs，becauseofourowninglargenumbersoftheseanimals。Myfatherwastheheadchief。

"Ourfavoritewinteringplacewasatim—

beredtractnearthemouthoftheGrandRiver，anditwasherethatwemettheBlackfootSiouxinthefallhunt。OntheoppositesideoftheriverfromourcampwasthepermanentvillageoftheReesandMandans，whosehouseswereofdirtandpartlyunderground。Forahun—

dredyearsbeforethistimetheyhadplantedlargegardens，andwewereaccustomedtobuyofthemcorn，beans，andpumpkins。Fromtimetotimeourpeoplehadmadetreatiesofpeacewiththem。EachfamilyoftheReeshadoneortwobuffaloboats——notround，astheSiouxmadethem，buttwoorthreeskinslong。Intheseboatstheybroughtquantitiesofdriedbeansandothervegetablestotradewithusforjerkedbuffalomeat。

"Itwasagreatgatheringandatimeofgen—

eralfestivityandhospitality。TheSiouxyoungmenwerecourtingtheReegirls，andtheReebraveswerecourtingourgirls，whiletheoldpeoplebarteredtheirproduce。Alldaytheriverwasalivewithcanoesanditsbanksrangwiththelaughteroftheyouthsandmaidens。

"Myfather’syoungerbrother，whosenamewasBigWhip，hadaclosefriend，ayoungmanwhoeveraftertheeventofwhichIamabouttotellyouwasknownasBaldEagle。Theywerebothdaringyoungmenandveryambitiousfordistinction。TheyhadbeenfollowingtheReegirlstotheircanoesastheyreturnedtotheirhomesintheevening。

"BigWhipandhisfriendstoodupontheriverbankatsunset，onewithaquiverfullofarrowsuponhisbackwhiletheothercarriedagununderhisblanket。Nearlyallthepeo—

pleoftheothervillagehadcrossedtheriver，andthechiefoftheRees，whosenamewasBaldEagle，wenthomewithhiswifelastofall。Itwasaboutduskastheyenteredtheirbullhideboat，andthetwoSiouxstoodtherelookingatthem。

"SuddenlyBigWhipexclaimed：’Friend，letuskillthechief。Idareyoutokillandscalphim！’Hisfriendreplied：

"’Itshallbeasyousay。Iwillstandbyyouinallthings。Iamwillingtodiewithyou。’

"AccordinglyBaldEaglepulledouthisgunandshottheReedead。Fromthatdayhetookhisname。Theoldmanfellbackwardintohisboat，andtheoldwomanscreamedandweptassherowedhimacrosstheriver。Theotheryoungmanshotanarrowortwoatthewife，butshecontinuedtorowuntilshereachedtheotherbank。

"Therewasgreatexcitementonbothsidesoftheriverassoonasthepeoplesawwhathadhappened。ThereweretwocampsofSioux，theBlackfootSiouxandtheYanktonnais，orourpeople。OfcoursetheMandansandReesgreatlyoutnumberedus;theircampmusthavenumberedtwoorthreethousand，whichwasmorethanwehadinourcombinedcamps。

"TherewasaSiouxwhosenamewasBlackShield，whohadintermarriedamongtheRees。

HecamedowntotheoppositebankoftheMis—

souriandshoutedtous：

"’OfwhichoneofyourbandsisthemanwhokilledBaldEagle？’

"OneoftheBlackfootSiouxreplied：

"’ItisamanoftheYanktonnaisSiouxwhokilledBaldEagle。’

"Thenhesaid：’TheReeswishtodobattlewiththem;youhadbetterwithdrawfromtheircamp。’

"AccordinglytheBlackfeetretiredaboutamilefromusuponthebluffsandpitchedtheirtents，whiletheYanktonnaisremainedontheflats。Thetwobandshadbeengreatrivalsincourageandtheartofwar，sowedidnotaskforhelpfromourkinsfolk，butduringthenightwedugtrenchesaboutthecamp，theinneroneforthewomenandchildren，andtheouteroneforthementostayinanddobattle。

"Thenextmorningatdaybreaktheenemylandedandapproachedourcampingreatnum—

bers。Someoftheirwomenandoldmencamealso，andsatuponthebluffstowatchthefightandtocarryofftheirdeadandwounded。TheBlackfeetlikewisewerewatchingthebattlefromthebluffs，andjustbeforethefightbeganoneBlackfootcameinwithhiswifeandjoinedus。HisnamewasRedDog’sTrack，butfromthatdayhewascalledHe—Came—Back。HiswifewasaYanktonnais，andhehadsaidtoher：’IfIdon’tjoinyourtribeto—day，mybrothers—in—lawwillcallmeacoward。’

"TheSiouxwerewellentrenchedandwellarmedwithgunsandarrows，andtheiraimwasdeadly，sothattheReescrawledupgradu—

allyandtookeveryopportunitytopickoffanySiouxwhoventuredtoshowhisheadabovethetrenches。InlikemannereveryReewhoex—

posedhimselfwassuretodie。

"Uptothistimenoonehadseenthetwomenwhomadeallthetrouble。Therewasanaturalhollowinthebank，concealedbybuffaloberrybushes，verynearwheretheystoodwhenBaldEagleshottheRee。

"’Friend，’saidBigWhip，’itislikelythatourownpeoplewillpunishusforthisdeed。

Theywillpursueandkilluswherevertheyfindus。Theyhavetherighttodothis。Thebestthingistodropintothiswashoutandremainthereuntiltheyceasetolookforus。’

"Theydidso，andremainedhiddenduringthenight。But，afterthefightbegan，BigWhipsaidagain：’Friend，wearethecauseofthedeathsofmanybravementhisday。Wecom—

mittedtheacttoshowourbravery。Wedaredeachothertodoit。Itwillnowbecomeusaswarriorstojoinourband。’

"Theybothstripped，andtakingtheirweap—

onsinhand，rantowardthecamp。Theyhadtopassdirectlythroughtheenemy’slines，buttheywerenotrecognizedtilltheyhadfairlypassedthem。Thentheywerebetweentwofires。Whentheyhadalmostreachedtheen—

trenchmenttheyfacedaboutandfiredattheRees，jumpingaboutincessantlytoavoidbeinghit，asistheIndianfashion。Bulletsandar—

rowswereflyingallaboutthemlikehail，butatlasttheydroppedbackunhurtintotheSiouxtrenches。Thusthetwomensavedtheirrepu—

tationforbravery，andtheirpeopleneveropenlyreproachedthemfortheeventsofthatday。Youngmenareoftenrash，butitisnotwelltoreproveoneforabravedeedlesthebecomeacoward。

"Manywerekilled，butmoreoftheReesthanofourband。Aboutthemiddleoftheafternoontherecameacoldrain。Itwasinthefalloftheyear。Thebow—stringswerewet，andthegunswereonlyflint—locks。Youknowwhentheflintbecomeswetitisuseless，anditlookedasifthefightmustbewithknives。

"ButtheReesweremuchdisheartened。

Theyhadlostmany。Thewomenwereallthetimecarryingoffthewounded，andthereweretheBlackfootSiouxwatchingthemfromthehills。Theyturnedandfledtowardtheriver。

TheSiouxfollowedlikecrazywolves，toma—

hawkingthetiredandslowones。Manywerekilledattheboats，andsomeoftheboatswerepuncturedwithshotandsank。SomecarriedaloadofSiouxarrowsbackacrosstheriver。

Thatwasthegreatestbattleeverfoughtbyourband，"theoldmanconcluded，withadeepsighofmingledsatisfactionandregret。

THESINGINGSPIRIT

I

"Homysteed，wemustclimbonemorehill！Myreputationdependsuponmyreport！"

Anookasanaddressedhisponyasifhewereahumancompanion，urgedonlikehimselfbyhumanneedandhumanambition。Andyetinhishearthehadverylittlehopeofsightinganybuffalointhatregionatjustthattimeoftheyear。

TheYanktonSiouxwereordinarilythemostfar—sightedoftheirpeopleinselectingawintercamp，butthisyearthelatefallhadcaughtthemratherfareastoftheMissouribottoms，theirfavoritecamping—ground。TheupperJimRiver，calledbytheSiouxtheRiverofGrayWoods，wasusuallybareoflargegameatthatseason。Theirstoreofjerkedbuffalomeatdidnotholdoutastheyhadhoped，andbyMarchitbecameanurgentnecessitytosendoutscoutsforbuffalo。

Theoldmenatthetiyoteepee（councillodge）heldalongcouncil。Itwasdecidedtoselecttenoftheirbravestandhardiestyoungmentoexplorethecountrywithinthreedays’

journeyoftheircamp。

"Anookasan，uyeyo—o—o，woo，woo！"Thusthetenmenweresummonedtothecouncillodgeearlyintheeveningtoreceivetheircommis—

sion。Anookasanwasthefirstcalledandfirsttocrossthecircleoftheteepees。Ayoungmanofsomethirtyyears，oftheoriginalnativetype，hismassiveformwaswrappedinafinebuffalorobewiththehairinside。Heworeastatelyeaglefeatherinhisscalp—lock，butnopaintabouthisface。

Asheenteredthelodgealltheinmatesgreetedhimwithmarkedrespect，andhewasgiventheplaceofhonor。Whenallwereseatedthegreatdrumwasstruckandasongsungbyfourdeep—chestedmen。Thiswasthepreludetoapeculiarceremony。

Alargeredpipe，whichhadbeenfilledandlaidcarefullyuponthecentralhearth，wasnowtakenupbyanoldman，whosefacewaspaintedred。Firstheheldittothegroundwiththewords："GreatMother，partakeofthis！"

Thenheheldittowardthesky，saying："GreatFather，smokethis！"Finallyhelightedit，tookfourpuffs，pointingittothefourcornersoftheearthinturn，andlastlypresentedittoAnookasan。Thiswastheoathofoffice，administeredbythechiefofthecouncillodge。

Theothernineweresimilarlycommissioned，andallacceptedtheappointment。

Itwasnolighttaskthatwasthusreligiouslyenjoineduponthesetenmen。Itmeantattheleastseveraldaysandnightsofwanderinginsearchofsignsofthewilybuffalo。Itwasapublicduty，andapersonaloneaswell;onethatmustinvolveuntoldhardship;andifover—

takenbystormthemessengerswereinperilofdeath！

Anookasanreturnedtohisteepeewithsomemisgiving。Hisoldcharger，whichhadsooftencarriedhimtovictory，wasnotsostrongashehadbeeninhisprime。Ashismasterapproachedthelodgetheoldhorsewelcomedhimwithagentlewhinny。Hewasalwaystetherednearby，readyforanyemergency。

"Ah，Wakan！weareoncemorecalledupontododuty！Weshallsetoutbeforeday—

break。"

Ashespoke，hepushednearerafewstripsofthepoplarbark，whichwasoatstotheIndianponyoftheoldentime。

Anookasanhadhisextrapairofbuffaloskinmoccasinswiththehairinside，andhisscantyprovisionofdriedmeatneatlydoneupinasmallpacketandfastenedtohissaddle。Withhiscompanionshestartednorthward，uptheRiveroftheGrayWoods，fiveontheeastsideandalikenumberonthewest。

Thepartyhadseparatedeachmorning，soastocoverasmuchgroundaspossible，havingagreedtoreturnatnighttotheriver。Itwasnowthethirdday;theirfoodwasallbutgone，theirsteedsmuchworn，andthesignsseemedtoindicateastorm。Yetthehungeroftheirfriendsandtheirownprideimpelledthemtopersist，foroutofmanyyoungmentheyhadbeenchosen，thereforetheymustprovethem—

selvesequaltotheoccasion。

Thesun，nowwelltowardthewesternhori—

zon，castoversnow—coveredplainsapurplishlight。Nolivingcreaturewasinsightandthequestseemedhopeless，butAnookasanwasnotonetoacceptdefeat。

"Theremaybeanoutlookfromyonderhillwhichwillturnfailureintosuccess，"hethought，ashedughisheelsintothesidesofhisfaith—

fulnag。Atthesametimehestarteda"StrongHeart"songtokeephiscourageup！

Atthesummitoftheascenthepausedandgazedsteadilybeforehim。Atthefootofthenextcoteauhebeheldastripofblack。Hestrainedhiseyestolook，forthesunhadal—

readysetbehindthehilltops。Itwasagreatherdofbuffaloes，hethought，whichwasgraz—

ingonthefoot—hills。

"Hihi，uncheedah！Hi，hi，tunkasheedah！"

hewasabouttoexclaimingratitude，when，lookingmoreclosely，hediscoveredhismistake。

Thedarkpatchwasonlytimber。

Hishorsecouldnotcarryhimanyfurther，sohegotoffandranbehindhimtowardtheriver。Atduskhehailedhiscompanions。

"Ho，whatsuccess？"onecried。

"Notasignofevenalonebull，"repliedan—

other。

"YetIsawagraywolfgoingnorththisevening。Hisdirectionispropitious，"re—

markedAnookasan，asheledtheothersdowntheslopeandintotheheavytimber。Theriverjustheremadeasharpturn，formingadenselywoodedsemicircle，intheshelterofahighbluff。

Thebraveswerealldownheartedbecauseoftheirill—luck，andonlythesanguinespiritofAnookasankeptthemfromutterdiscourage—

ment。Theirslightrepasthadbeentakenandeachmanhadprovidedhimselfwithabundanceofdrygrassandtwigsforabed。Theyhadbuiltatemporarywigwamofthesamemate—

rial，inthecenterofwhichtherewasagen—

erousfire。Eachmanstretchedhimselfoutuponhisrobeintheglowofit。Anookasanfilledtheredpipe，and，havinglightedit，hetookoneortwohastypuffsandheldituptothemoon，whichwasscarcelyvisiblebehindthecoldclouds。

"GreatMother，partakeofthissmoke！

MayIeatmeatto—morrow！"heexclaimedwithsolemnity。Havingutteredthisprayer，hehandedthepipetothemannearesthim。

Foratimetheyallsmokedinsilence;thencameadistantcall。

"Ah，itisShunkmanito，thewolf！Thereissomethingcheeringinhisvoiceto—night，"

declaredAnookasan。"Yes，Iamsureheistellingusnottobediscouraged。Youknowthatthewolfisoneofourbestfriendsintrou—

ble。Manyaonehasbeenguidedbacktohishomebyhiminablizzard，orledtogamewhenindesperateneed。Myfriends，letusnotturnbackinthemorning;letusgonorthonemoreday！"

Nooneansweredimmediately，andagainsilencereigned，whileonebyonetheypulledthereluctantwhiffsofsmokethroughthelongstemofthecalumet。

"Whatisthat？"saidoneofthemen，andalllistenedintentlytocatchthedelicatesound。

Theywerefamiliarwithallthenoisesofthenightandvoicesoftheforest，butthiswasnotlikeanyofthem。

"Itsoundslikethesongofamosquito，andonemightforgetwhilehelistensthatthisisnotmidsummer，"saidone。

"Ihearalsothemedicine—man’ssingledrum—

beat，"suggestedanother。

"Thereisatradition，"remarkedAnookasan，thatmanyyearsagoapartyofhunterswentuptheriveronascoutlikethisofours。Theyneverreturned。Afterward，inthesummer，theirboneswerefoundnearthehomeofastrangecreature，saidtobealittleman，buthehadhairalloverhim。TheIsanteescallhimChanotedah。OuroldmengivehimthenameOglugechana。Thissingularbeingissaidtobenolargerthananew—bornbabe。Hespeaksanunknowntongue。

"ThehomeofOglugechanaisusuallyahol—

lowstump，aroundwhichallofthenearesttreesarefelledbylightning。Thereisanopenspotinthedeepwoodswhereverhedwells。Hisweaponsaretheplumesofvariousbirds。Greatnumbersofthesevariegatedfeathersaretobefoundinthedesertedlodgeofthelittleman。

"ItistoldbytheoldmenthatOglugechanahasaweirdmusicbywhichhesometimesbe—

witcheslonetravelers。Heleadsthemhitherandthitherabouthisplaceuntiltheyhavelosttheirsenses。Thenhespeakstothem。Hemaymakeofthemgreatwar—prophetsormedicine—

men，buthiscommandsarehardtofulfill。Ifanyoneseeshimandcomesawaybeforeheisbewildered，themandiesassoonashesmellsthecamp—fire，orwhenheentershishomehisnearestrelativediessuddenly。"

Thewarriorwhorelatedthislegendassumedtheairofonewhonarratesauthentichistory，andhislistenersappearedtobeseriouslyim—

pressed。Whatwecallthesupernaturalwasasrealtothemasanypartoftheirlives。

"Thisthingdoesnotstoptobreatheatall。

Hismusicseemstogoonendlessly，"saidone，withconsiderableuneasiness。

"Itcomesfromtheheavytimbernorthofus，underthehighcliff，"reportedawarriorwhohadsteppedoutsideoftherudetemporarystructuretoinformhimselfmoreclearlyofthedirectionofthesound。

"Anookasan，youareourleader——telluswhatweshoulddo！Wewillfollowyou。I

believeweoughttoleavethisspotimmediately。

Thisisperhapsthespiritofsomedeadenemy，"

suggestedanother。Meanwhile，theredpipewasrefilledandsentaroundthecircletocalmtheirdisturbedspirits。

Whenthecalumetreturnedatlasttotheoneaddressed，hetookitinapreoccupiedmanner，andspokebetweenlaboredpullsonthestem。

"Iamjustlikeyourselves——nothingmorethanflesh——withaspiritthatisasreadytoleavemeaswatertorunfromapuncturedwater—bag！Whenwethinkthus，weareweak。

Letusratherthinkuponthebravedeedsofourancestors！Thissingingspirithasagentlevoice;Iamreadytofollowandlearnifitbeanenemyorno。Letusallbefoundto—

gethernextsummerifneedbe！"

"Ho，ho，ho！"wasthefull—throatedre—

sponse。

"Allputonyourwar—paint，"suggestedAnookasan。"Haveyourknivesandarrowsready！"

Theydidso，andallstolesilentlythroughtheblackforestinthedirectionofthemysterioussound。Clearerandcleareritcamethroughthefrostyair;butitwasaforeignsoundtothesavageear。Nowitseemedtothemalmostlikeadistantwater—fall;thenitrecalledthelowhumofsummerinsectsandthedrowsydroneofthebumblebee。Thump，thump，thump！wastheregularaccompaniment。

Nearerandnearertotheclifftheycame，deeperintothewildheartofthewoods。Atlastoutofthegray，formlessnightadarkshapeappeared！Itlookedtothemlikeahugebuf—

falobullstandingmotionlessintheforest，andfromhisthroatthereapparentlyproceededthethumpofthemedicinedrum，andthesongofthebeguilingspirit！

Allofasuddenasparkwentupintotheair。

Astheycontinuedtoapproach，therebecamevisibleadeepglowaboutthemiddleofthedarkobject。Whateveritwas，theyhadneverheardofanythinglikeitinalltheirlives！

Anookasanwasalittleinadvanceofhiscom—

panions，anditwashewhofinallydiscoveredawalloflogslaidoneuponanother。Halfwayupthereseemedtobestretchedapar—fleche（raw—hide），fromwhichadimlightemanated。

HestillthoughtofOglugechana，whodwellswithinahollowtree，anddeterminedtosur—

priseandifpossibletooverpowerthiswonder—

workingoldman。

Allnowtooktheirknivesintheirhandsandadvancedwiththeirleadertotheattackupontheloghut。"Wa—wa—wa—wa，woo，woo！"

theycried。Zip，zip！wentthepar—flechedoorandwindow，andtheyallrushedin！

Theresatamanuponaroughlyhewnstool。

Hewasattiredinwolfskinsandworeafox—

skincapuponhishead。Thelargerportionofhisfacewasclothedwithnaturalfur。Arudelymadecedarfiddlewastuckedunderhisfurredchin。Supportingitwithhislefthand，hesaweditvigorouslywithabowthatwasnotunlikeanIndianboy’sminiatureweapon，whilehismoccasinedleftfootcamedownuponthesodfloorintimewiththemusic。Whentheshrillwar—whoopcame，andthedoorandwin—

dowwerecutinstripsbytheknivesoftheIn—

dians，hedidnotevenceaseplaying，butin—

stinctivelyheclosedhiseyes，soasnottobeholdthehorrorofhisownend。

II

Itwaslongago，upontherollingprairiesouthoftheDevil’sLake，thatamotleybodyofhuntersgatherednearamightyherdofthebison，intheMoonofFallingLeaves。ThesewerethefirstgenerationoftheCanadianmixed—bloods，whosprangupinsuchnumbersastoformalmostanewpeople。

Thesesemi—wildAmericanssoonbecameane—

cessitytotheHudsonBayCompany，astheywerethegreatesthuntersofthebison，andmademoreuseofthiswonderfulanimalthaneventheiraboriginalancestors。

Acuriousraceofpeoplethis，intheirmake—upandtheircustoms！Theirshaggyblackhairwasallowedtogrowlong，reachingtotheirbroadshoulders，thencutoffabruptly，makingtheirheadslooklikeathatchedhouse。Theirdarkfaceswereinmostcaseswellcoveredwithhair，theirteethlargeandwhite，andtheireyesusuallyliquidblack，althoughoccasionallyonehadatiger—brownorcold—grayeye。Theircos—

tumewasabuckskinshirtwithabundanceoffringes，buckskinpantaloonswithshortleg—

gins，agaysash，andacapoffox—fur。Theirarmsconsistedofflint—lockguns，hatchets，andbutcher—knives。Theirponiesweresmall，butashardyasthemselves。

Asthesemengatheredintheneighborhoodofanimmenseherdofbuffaloes，theybusiedthemselvesinadjustingthegirthsoftheirbeautifullybeadedpillow—likesaddles。Amongthemtherewereexceptionalridersandhunters。

ItwassaidthatfewcouldequalAntoineMich—

audinfeatsofridingintoandthroughtheherd。Therehestood，allalone，theobservedofmanyothers。Itwashishabittogivesev—

eralIndianyellswhentheonsetbegan，soastoinsureasuccessfulhunt。

Inthisinstance，Antoinegavehisusualwhoops，andwhentheyhadalmostreachedtheherd，heliftedhisflint—lockoverhisheadandplungedintotheblackmovingmass。Withasoundlikethedistantrumblingofthunder，thosetensofthousandsofbuffalohoofswerepoundingtheearthinretreat。ThusAntoinedisappeared！

Hiswildsteeddashedintothemidstofthevastherd。Fortunatelyforhim，theanimalskeptclearofhim;butalas！thegapthroughwhichhehadenteredinstantlyclosedagain。

Heyelledfranticallytosecureanoutlet，butwithouteffect。Hehadtiedaredbandannaaroundhisheadtokeepthehairoffhisface，andhenowtookthisoffandswungitcrazilyabouthimtoscatterthebuffalo，butitavailedhimnothing。

Withsuchamightyherdinflight，thespeedcouldnotbegreat;thereforethe"BoisBrule"

settledhimselftothesituation，allowinghisponytocanteralongslowlytosavehisstrength。

Itrequiredmuchtactandpresenceofmindtokeepanopenspace，forthefewpacesofob—

structionbehindhadgraduallygrownintoamile。

Themightyhostmovedcontinuallysouth—

ward，walkingandrunningalternately。Asthesunnearedthewesternhorizon，itfiredtheskyabovethem，andallthedistanthillsandprairieswereintheglowofit，butimmediatelyaboutthemwasathickcloudofdust，andthegroundappearedlikeafire—sweptplain。

SuddenlyAntoinewasawareofatremendouspushfrombehind。Theanimalssmelledthecoolwaterofaspringwhichformedalargeboginthemidstoftheplain。Thissolitarypondormarshwasawatering—placeforthewildanimals。Allpushedandedgedtowardit;itwasimpossibleforanyonetowithstandthecombinedstrengthofsomany。

Antoineandhissteedwereinimminentdan—

gerofbeingpushedintothemireandtrampledupon，butamerechancebroughtthemuponsolidground。Astheywerecrowdedacrossthemarsh，hisponydrankheartily，andhe，forthefirsttime，letgohisbridle，puthistwopalmstogetherforadipper，anddrankgreedilyofthebitterwater。Hehadnoteatensinceearlymorning，sohenowpulledupsomebulrushesandateofthetenderbulbs，whiletheponygrazedasbesthecouldonthetopsofthetallgrass。

Itwasnowdark。Thenightwaswell—

nighintolerableforAntoine。Thebuffalowereabouthimincountlessnumbers，regardinghimwithviciousglances。Itwasonlybyreasonofthenaturaloffensivenessofmanthattheygavehimanyspace。Thebellowingofthebullsbecamegeneral，andtherewasamarkeduneasinessonthepartoftheherd。Thiswasasignofapproachingstorm，thereforetheun—

fortunatehunterhadthisadditionalcauseforanxiety。Uponthewesternhorizonwereseensomeflashesoflightning。

Thecloudwhichhadbeenamerespeckuponthehorizonhadnowincreasedtolargepropor—

tions。Suddenlythewindcame，andlightningflashesbecamemorefrequent，showingtheun—

gainlyformsoftheanimalslikestrangemon—

stersinthewhitelight。Thecolossalherdwasagaininviolentmotion。Itwasablindrushforshelter，andnoheedwaspaidtobuffalowallowsorevendeepgulches。Allwasinthedeepestofdarkness。Thereseemedtobegroaninginheavenandearth——millionsofhoofsandthroatsroaringinunison！

Asashipwreckedmanclingstoamerefrag—

mentofwood，soAntoine，althoughalmostexhaustedwithfatigue，stillstucktothebackofhisequallypluckypony。Deathwasimmi—

nentforthemboth。Asthemadrushcon—

tinued，everyflashdisplayedheapsofbisonindeathstruggleunderthehoofsoftheircom—

panions。

FromtimetotimeAntoinecrossedhimselfandwhisperedaprayertotheVirgin;andagainhespoketohishorseafterthefashionofanIndian：

"Bebrave，bestrong，myhorse！Ifwesur—

vivethistrial，youshallhavegreathonor！"

Thestampedecontinueduntiltheyreachedthebottomlands，and，likearushingstream，theircoursewasturnedasidebythesteepbankofacreekorsmallriver。Thentheymovedmoreslowlyinwidesweepsorcircles，untilthestormceased，andtheexhaustedhunter，stillinhissaddle，tooksomesnatchesofsleep。

Whenheawokeandlookedabouthimagainitwasmorning。Theherdhadenteredthestripoftimberwhichlayonbothsidesoftheriver，anditwasherethatAntoineconceivedhisfirstdistincthopeofsavinghimself。

"Waw，waw，waw！"wasthehoarsecrythatcametohisears，apparentlyfromahumanbeingindistress。Antoinestrainedhiseyesandcranedhisnecktoseewhoitcouldbe。

Throughanopeninginthebranchesaheadheperceivedalargegrizzlybear，lyingalonganinclinedlimbandhuggingitdesperatelytomaintainhisposition。Theherdhadnowthor—

oughlypervadedthetimber，andthebearwaslikewisehemmedin。Hehadtakentohisunac—

customedrefugeaftermakingabravestandagainstseveralbulls，oneofwhichlaydeadnearby，whilehehimselfwasbleedingfrommanywounds。

Antoinehadbeenassiduouslylookingforafriendlytree，bymeansofwhichhehopedtoeffecthisescapefromcaptivitybythearmyofbison。Hishorse，bychance，madehiswaydirectlyundertheverybox—elderthatwassus—

tainingthebearandtherewasaconvenientbranchjustwithinhisreach。TheBoisBrulewasnottheninanaggressivemood，andhesawataglancethattheoccupantofthetreewouldnotinterferewithhim。Theywere，infact，companionsindistress。Antoinetriedtogiveawar—whoopashesprangdesperatelyfromthepony’sbackandseizedthecrosslimbwithbothhishands。

Thehunterdangledintheairforaminutethattohimseemedayear。Thenhegatheredupallthestrengththatwasinhim，andwithonegrandefforthepulledhimselfuponthelimb。

Ifhehadfailedinthis，hewouldhavefallentothegroundunderthehoofsofthebuffaloes，andattheirmercy。

Afterhehadadjustedhisseatascomfort—

ablyashecould，Antoinesurveyedthesituation。

Hehadatleastescapedfromsuddenandcer—

taindeath。Itgrievedhimthathehadbeenforcedtoabandonhishorse，andhehadnoideahowfarhehadcomenoranymeansofreturningtohisfriends，whohad，nodoubt，givenhimupforlost。Hisimmediateneedswererestandfood。

Accordinglyheselectedafatcowandemp—

tiedintohersidesonebarrelofhisgun，whichhadbeenslungacrosshischest。Hewentonshootinguntilhehadkilledmanyfatcows，greatlytothediscomfitureofhisneighbor，thebear，whilethebisonvainlystruggledamongthemselvestokeepthefatalspotclear。

Bythemiddleoftheafternoonthemainbodyoftheherdhadpassed，andAntoinewassurethathiscaptivityhadatlastcometoanend。Thenheswunghimselffromhislimbtotheground，andwalkedstifflytothecarcassofthenearestcow，whichhedressedandpreparedhimselfameal。Butfirsthetookapieceofliveronalongpoletothebear！

Antoinefinallydecidedtosettleinthere—

cessesoftheheavytimberforthewinter，ashewasonfootandalone，andnotabletotravelanygreatdistance。Hejerkedthemeatofalltheanimalshehadkilled，andpreparedtheirskinsforbeddingandclothing。TheBoisBruleandAmi，ashecalledthebear，soonbe—

camenecessarytooneanother。Theformerconsideredthebearverygoodcompany，andthelatterhadlearnedthatman’sbusiness，afterall，isnottokilleveryanimalhemeets。Hehadbeenfedandkindlytreated，whenhelplessfromhiswounds，andthishecouldnotforget。

Antoinewassoonbusyerectingasmallloghut，whiletheotherpartnerkeptasharplook—

out，and，afterhishurtswerehealed，oftenbroughtinsomesmallgame。Thetwohadaperfectunderstandingwithoutmanywords;atleast，thespeechwasallupononeside！InhisleisuremomentsAntoinehadoccupiedhimselfwithwhittlingoutarudefiddleofcedar—wood，strungwiththegutsofawildcatthathehadkilled。Everyeveningthatwinterhewouldsitdownaftersupperandplayalltheoldfamiliarpieces，variedwithimprovisationsofhisown。

Atfirst，themusicandtheincessantpoundingtimewithhisfootannoyedthebear。Attimes，too，theCanadianwouldcalloutthefiguresforthedance。AllthisAmibecameaccustomedtointime，andevenshowednosmallinterestinthebuzzingofthelittlecedarbox。Notinfre—

quently，hewasoutintheevening，andthehumanpartnerwasleftalone。Itchanced，quitefortunately，thatthebearwasabsentonthenightthattheredfolkrudelyinvadedthelonelyhut。

Thecalmnessofthestrangebeinghadstayedtheirhands。Theyhadneverbeforeseenamanofotherracethantheirown！

"IsthisChanotedah？Isheman，orbeast？"

thewarriorsaskedoneanother。

"Ho，wakeup，koda！"exclaimedAnooka—

san。"Maybeheisoftheporcupinetribe，ashamedtolookatus！"

Atthismomenttheyspiedthehaunchofvenisonwhichswungfromacross—stickoverafinebedofcoals，infrontoftherudemudchimney。

"Ho，kodahassomethingtoeat！Sitdown，sitdown！"theyshoutedtooneanother。

NowAntoineopenedhiseyesforthefirsttimeuponhisunlooked—forguests。Theywereahaggardandhungry—lookingset。Anookasanextendedhishand，andAntoinegaveitaheartyshake。Hesethisfiddleagainstthewallandbegantocutupthesmokingvenisonintogen—

erouspiecesandplaceitbeforethem。Allatelikefamishedmen，whilethefirelightintensifiedtheredpaintupontheirwildandwarlikefaces。

Whenhehadsatisfiedhisfirsthunger，Anookasanspokeinsigns。"Friend，wehaveneverbeforeheardasonglikethatofyourlittlecedarbox！Wehadsupposedittobeaspirit，orsomeharmfulthing，henceourattackuponit。Weneversawanypeopleofyoursort。Whatisyourtribe？"

Antoineexplainedhisplightinthesamemanner，andthetwosooncametoanunder—

standing。TheCanadiantoldthestarvinghun—

tersofabuffaloherdalittlewaytothenorth，andoneoftheirnumberwasdispatchedhome—

wardwiththenews。IntwodaystheentirebandreachedAntoine’splace。TheBoisBrulewastreatedwithkindnessandhonor，andthetribegavehimawife。SufficeittosaythatAntoinelivedanddiedamongtheYanktonsatagoodoldage;butAmicouldnotbrooktheinvasionupontheirhermitlife。Hewasneverseenafterthatfirstevening。

IV

THEFAMINE

OntheAssiniboineRiverinwesternManitobatherestandsanold，his—

torictrading—post，whosecrumblingwallscrownahighpromontoryintheangleformedbyitsjunctionwithatributarystream。

ThisisFortEllis，amistressofthewildernessandlodestoneofsavagetribesbetweentheyears1830and1870。

HitheratthatearlydaytheIndiansbroughttheirbuffalorobesandbeaverskinstoexchangeformerchandise，ammunition，andthe"spiritwater。"Amongtheotherstherepresentlyap—

pearedabandofrenegadeSioux——theexiles，astheycalledthemselves——underWhiteLodge，whosefather，LittleCrow，hadbeenaleaderintheoutbreakof1862。Nowthegreatwar—

chiefwasdead，andhispeoplewereprisonersorfugitives。TheshrewdScotchtrader，Mc—

Leod，soondiscoveredthattheSiouxwereskilledhunters，andthereforeheexertedhim—

selftobefriendthem，aswellastoencourageafeelingofgoodwillbetweenthemandtheCa—

nadiantribeswhowereaccustomedtomaketheoldforttheirsummerrendezvous。

Nowtheautumnhadcome，afteralongsum—

meroffeastsanddances，andthethreetribesbrokeupanddispersedasusualinvariousdi—

rections。WhiteLodgehadtwindaughters，veryhandsome，whoseearshadbeenkeptburn—

ingwiththeproposalsofmanysuitors，butnonehadreceivedanydefiniteencouragement。Therewereoneortwowhowouldhavebeenquitewillingtoforsaketheirowntribesandfollowtheexileshadtheynotfearedtoomuchtheridiculeofthebraves。EvenAngusMcLeod，thetrader’seldestson，hadneedofallhispatienceandcaution，forhehadneverseenanywomanheadmiredsomuchasthepiquantMagaskawee，calledTheSwan，oneofthesebellesoftheforest。

TheSiouxjourneyednorthward，towardtheMouseRiver。Theyhadwinteredonthatstreambefore，anditwasthenthefeedinggroundoflargeherdsofbuffalo。Whenitwasdiscoveredthattheherdsweremovingwest—

ward，acrosstheMissouri，therewasnolittleapprehension。Theshrewdmedicine—manbe—

cameawareofthesituation，andhastenedtoannouncehisprophecy：

"TheGreatMysteryhasappearedtomeinadream！Heshowedmemenwithhaggardandthinfaces。Iinterpretthistomeanascarcityoffoodduringthewinter。"

Thechiefcalledhiscounselorstogetherandsetbeforethemthedreamofthepriest，whoseprophecy，hesaid，wasalreadybeingfulfilledinpartbythewestwardmovementofthebuffalo。

Itwasagreedthattheyshouldlayupallthedriedmeattheycouldobtain;butevenforthistheyweretoolate。Thestormswereal—

readyathand，andthatwinterwasmoreseverethananythattheoldmencouldrecallintheirtraditions。Thebraveskilledallthesmallgameforawidecircuitaroundthecamp，butthebuffalohadnowcrossedtheriver，andthatcountrywasnotfavorablefordeer。Themoreenterprisingyoungmenorganizedhuntingex—

peditionstovariouspartsoftheopenprairie，buteachtimetheyreturnedwithemptyhands。

The"MoonofSoreEyes，"orMarch，hadcomeatlast，andWazeah，theGodofStorm，wasstillangry。Theirscantprovisionofdriedmeathadheldoutwonderfully，butitwasnowallbutconsumed。TheSiouxhadbutlittleam—

munition，andthesnowwasstillsodeepthatitwasimpossibleforthemtomoveawaytoanyotherregioninsearchofgame。Theworstwasfeared;indeed，someofthechildrenandfeebleoldpeoplehadalreadysuccumbed。

WhiteLodgeagaincalledhismentogetherincouncil，anditwasdeterminedtosendames—

sengertoFortEllistoaskforrelief。AyoungmancalledFace—the—Windwaschosenforhisexceptionalqualitiesofspeedandenduranceuponlongjourneys。Theoldmedicine—man，whoseshrewdprophecyhadgainedforhimtheconfidenceofthepeople，nowcameforward。

Hehadcloselyobservedtheappearanceofthemessengerselected，andhadtakennoteofthestormanddistance。Accordinglyhesaid：

"Mychildren，theGreatMysteryisof—

fended，andthisisthecauseofalloursuffering！

Iseeashadowhangingoverourmessenger，butIwillpraytotheGreatSpirit——perhapshemayyetsavehim！——GreatMystery，bethoumerciful！Strengthenthisyoungmanforhisjourney，thathemaybeabletofinishitandtosendusaid！Ifweseethesunofsummeragain，wewillofferthechoicestofourmeatstothee，anddotheegreathonor！"

Duringthisinvocation，asoccasionallyhap—

pensinMarch，aloudpealofthunderwasheard。Thiscoincidencethrewtheprophetal—

mostintoafrenzy，andthepoorpeoplewereallofatremble。Face—the—Windbelievedthattheprayerwasdirectlyanswered，andthoughweakenedbyfastingandunfitforthetaskbe—

forehim，hewasencouragedtomaketheat—

tempt。

Hesetoutonthefollowingdayatdawn，andonthethirddaystaggeredintothefort，lookinglikeaspecterandalmostfrighteningthepeople。HewastakentoMcLeod’shouseandgivengoodcare。Thepoorfellow，deli—

riouswithhunger，fanciedhimselfengagedinmortalcombatwithEyah，thegodoffamine，whohasamouthextendingfromeartoear。

Whereverhegoesthereisfamine，forheswal—

lowsallthathesees，evenwholenations！

ThelegendhasitthatEyahfearsnothingbutthejinglingofmetal：sofinallythedyingmanlookedupintoMcLeod’sfaceandcried：

"Ringyourbellinhisface，Wahadah！"

Thekind—heartedfactorcouldnotrefuse，andasthegreatbellusedtomarkthehoursofworkandofmealspealedoutuntimelyuponthefrostyair，theIndianstartedupandinthatmomentbreathedhislast。Hehadgivennonews，andMcLeodandhissonscouldonlyguessatthestateofaffairsupontheMouseRiver。

Whilethemenwereincouncilwithherfather，Magaskaweehadturnedoverthecon—

tentsofherwork—bag。Shehadfoundasmallrollofbirch—barkinwhichshekeptherporcu—

pinequillsforembroidery，andpulledthedeli—

catelayersapart。TheWhiteSwanwasnotaltogethertheuntutoredIndianmaiden，forshehadlivedinthefamilyofamissionaryintheStates，andhadlearnedbothtospeakandwritesomeEnglish。Therewasnoink，nopenorpencil，butwithherboneawlshepresseduponthewhitesideofthebarkthefollowingwords：

MR。ANGUSMcLEOD：——

WearenearthehollowrockontheMouseRiver。ThebuffalowentawayacrosstheMissouri，andourpowderandshotaregone。Wearestarving。Good—bye，ifIdon’tseeyouagain。

MAGASKAWEE。

Thegirlentrustedthislittlenotetohergrandmother，andsheinturngaveittothemessenger。Buthe，asweknow，wasunabletodeliverit。

"Angus，telltheboystoburythepoorfel—

lowto—morrow。IdaresayhebroughtussomenewsfromWhiteLodge，butwehavegottogotothehappyhunting—groundstogetit，orwaittilltheexilebandreturnsinthespring。

Evidently，"continuedMcLeod，"hefellsickontheway：orelsehewasstarving！"

ThislastsuggestionhorrifiedAngus。"I

believe，father，"heexclaimed，"thatweoughttoexaminehisbundle。"

Asmalloblongpacketwasbroughtforthfromthedeadman’sbeltandcarefullyun—

rolled。

Therewereseveralpairsofmoccasins，andwithinoneoftheseAngusfoundsomethingwrappedupnicely。Heproceededtounwindthelongstringsofdeerskinwithwhichitwassecurelytied，andbroughtforthathinsheetofbirch—bark。Atfirst，thereseemedtobenoth—

ingmore，butacloserscrutinyrevealedtheim—

pressionoftheawl，andthebitofnature’sparchmentwasbroughtnearertohisface，andscannedwithazealequaltothatofanystudentofancienthieroglyphics。

"Thistellsthewholestory，father！"ex—

claimedtheyoungmanatlast。"Magaska—

wee’snote——justlisten！"andhereaditaloud。

"Ishallstartto—morrow。Wecantakeenoughprovisionandammunitionontwosleds，withsixdogstoeach。Ishallwantthreegoodmentogowithme。"Angusspokewithdeci—

sion。

"Well，wecan’taffordtoloseourbesthunt—

ers;andyoumightalsobringhomewithyouwhatfursandrobestheyhaveonhand，"washisfather’sprudentreply。

"Idon’tcareparticularlyfortheskins，"

Angusdeclared;butheatoncebeganhurriedpreparationsfordeparture。

Inthemeantimeaffairsgrewdailymoredesperateintheexilevillageonthefar—awayMouseRiver，andasortofIndianhopelessnessandresignationsettleddownuponthelittlecommunity。Therewerefewwhoreallyex—

pectedtheirmessengertoreachthefort，orbe—

lievedthatevenifhedidso，reliefwouldbesentintimetosavethem。WhiteLodge，thefatherofhispeople，wasdeterminedtosharewiththemthelastmouthfuloffood，andeverymorningWinonaandMagaskaweewentwithscantyportionsintheirhandstothosewhosesupplyhadentirelyfailed。

Ontheoutskirtsofthecamptheredweltanoldwomanwithanorphangrandchild，whohadbeendenyingherselfforsometimeinorderthatthechildmightlivelonger。Thispoorteepeethegirlsvisitedoften，andoneoneachsidetheyraisedtheexhaustedwomanandpouredintohermouththewarmbroththeyhadbroughtwiththem。

ItwasontheverydayFace—the—WindreachedFortEllisthatayounghunterwhohadventuredfurtherfromthecampthananyoneelsehadthelucktobringdownasolitarydeerwithhisbowandarrow。Inhisweaknesshehadreachedcampverylate，bearingthedeerwiththeutmostdifficultyuponhisshoulders。

ItwasinstantlyseparatedintoasmanypiecesastherewerelodgesofthefamishingSioux。

Thesedeliciousmorselswerehastilycookedandeagerlydevoured，butamongsomanytherewasscarcelymorethanamouthfultotheshareofeach，andthebraveyouthhimselfdidnotreceiveenoughtoappeaseintheleasthiscrav—

ing！

OntheeveofAngus’departurefortheexilevillage，ThreeStars，adevotedsuitorofWi—

nona’s，accompaniedbyanotherAssiniboinebrave，appearedunexpectedlyatthefort。Heatonceaskedpermissiontojointhereliefparty，andtheysetoutatdaybreak。

Thelead—dogwastheoldreliableMack，whohadbeeninserviceforseveralseasonsonwin—

tertrips。Allofthewhitemenwerecladinbuckskinshirtsandpantaloons，withlongfringesdownthesides，furcapsandfur—linedmoccasins。Theirgunswerefastenedtothelong，toboggan—likesleds。

Thesnowhadthawedalittleandformedanicycrust，andoverthisfreshsnowhadfallen，whichanorthwestwindsweptoverthesurfacelikeashesafteraprairiefire。Thesunappearedforalittletimeinthemorning，butitseemedasifhewerecuttingshorthiscourseonaccountofthebleakday，andhadprotectedhimselfwithpaleringsoffire。

Thedogslaidbacktheirears，drewintheirtails，andstruckintotheircustomarytrot，butevenoldMacklookedbackfrequently，asifreluctanttofacesuchaprickingandscarifyingwind。Themenfeltthecoldstillmorekeenly，althoughtheyhadtakencaretocovereverybitofthefaceexceptoneeye，andthatwascom—

pletelyblindedattimesbythegranulatedsnow。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读